Run.
Stand up.
Fight.
Or die.
Die for what's right or something that brings hope for a better life.

"We shall overcome" the song simply states,
In a time of discrimination against one's race.
A time where freedom could only be fought for, not easily given
The time when being Black was not easy living.

A time when sit ins and freedom riders rose to the occasion,
A time when Rosa Parks sat down and demanded appreciation,
A time when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave hope with his dream,
A time where Blacks and whites became one and worked as a team.

A time with separate water fountains, diners, and schools
A time when Blacks were called out of their names and referred to as "coons",
A time when Blacks marched to be heard on what they had to say,
A time that allowed the term Civil Rights to evolve into what it is today.

Now America can truly be the land of the free,
A country where creativity thrives and you can be who YOU want to be,
A country now governed two terms by a Black President,
A country filled with blacks who are succeeding with excellence.

A country of democracy where we all have the right to vote,
A new country where you can sit down and go where you want to go,
A country that embraces originality and diversity,
A country where you can be educated at any university.

Our ancestors did live in a time,
A time we should never forget,
A time that granted us this state of serenity,
A time with a goal geared towards equality and peace.

We live in a new era,
That challenges all of us to work hard and do better,
An era that forgives the past, but looks for the future,
An era where we take the time to reflect and say, there once was a time.